The present invention is directed to communications and information systems and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for storing, accessing, generating and using information about speed limits and speed traps.
Driving at speeds significantly below posted speed limits can reduce the risk of inadvertently exceeding a speed limit. However, slow driving can also create hazards associated with blocking traffic. For example, slow driving may encourage people to pass the slow moving vehicle which can be a risky undertaking on narrow, winding and/or poorly light roads.
While driving a motor vehicle, generally law abiding citizens attempting to drive at or near the speed limit will sometimes inadvertently exceed the legal speed limit. This may happen, for example, because of a sudden and poorly marked change in speed limits, because of a steep decline in the road surface such as may be encountered when descending a hill, or for other reasons.
Constant monitoring of a speedometer by a driver can be districting and lead to accidents due to the driver focusing his attention on the speedometer as opposed to road conditions. In addition, due to poor marking of speed limits, it is often difficult to promptly determine the applicable speed limit on any given road. This is particularly the case when turning onto a road. Thus, it is often difficult to comply with a speed limit simply because it is unknown to the driver.
To complicate matters, law enforcement officials seeking to issue speeding tickets and thereby generate revenue in the form of fines for local municipalities, often take advantage of naturally occurring road conditions and changes in speed limits, to find a location from which they can issue large number of speeding tickets. These tickets are often issued to unsuspecting motorists attempting to comply with the law.
While radar detectors offer some protection against speeding tickets, in many cases they fail to encourage compliance with speed limits. For this reason among others, radar detectors are illegal in some states.
In an attempt to make people aware of speed traps, at least one Internet web site, SPEEDTRAP.COM, lists speed trap location information. Unfortunately, this information may be incomplete, out-of-date, and/or difficult to access.
While the knowledge of speed trap location information can encourage motorists to comply with speed limits, particularly in locations where speed traps are known to occur, it is currently difficult for a motorist to access such information when needed, e.g., while driving. In addition, it is often difficult for the motorist to accurately identify the speed trap location based on the available position information which may be somewhat inaccurate.
In view of the above, there is a need for new and improved methods and apparatus for encouraging compliance with speed limits. In particular there is a need for methods and apparatus for providing a driver with speed limit information while driving. In addition, there is a need to provide a method of notifying the driver when he/she approximates or exceeds a speed limit. There is also a need for methods and apparatus for notifying a driver of upcoming speed trap locations. There is also a need for methods and apparatus for collecting accurate speed trap information, e.g., location and time information, and disseminating such information in a timely fashion to motor vehicle operators.
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for storing, accessing, generating and using information about speed limits and speed traps.
In accordance with the present invention, a motor vehicle is equipped with a positional sensor, e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) device. Based on positional information obtained from the GPS device, the position of the motor vehicle is determined and one or more databases including speed limit and/or speed trap information is accessed. Accessing of the databases may be done on an automated basis as the driver moves from geographic region to geographic region without requiring action by the driver.
The database(s) may be stored locally, e.g., internal to the digital driver assist (DDA) device of the present invention or remotely, e.g., at a physically remote information/service provider site, e.g., a site coupled to the DDA device via the Internet. Alternatively, the databases may be stored in a distributed fashion with the main portion of the database being stored locally and more recent, e.g., update information, stored remotely. Database access can be performed using a data link such as a wireless computer modem.
Since the database is accessed using the GPS provided positional information, a driver is provided information that is relevant to his current physical location in a timely manner making the information easy to use. The driver can be presented with the speed limit and/or speed trap information in an audio format in addition to a visual display. In this manner, a driver need not take his/her eyes off the road to access the information being provided.
Speed information can be supplied to the device of the present invention, e.g., from the output of a motor vehicles speedometer. Alternatively, based on changes in the positional information generated by the utilized GPS device, the speed of the motor vehicle can, and in some embodiments is, calculated by the device of the present invention.
In various embodiments the motor vehicle speed is compared to one or more speeds, e.g., speeds programmed by the user, which are determined relative to the lawful speed limit. For example, a user may program the device of the present invention to provide a first warning when the speed limit is being meet and a second warning when the speed limit is exceed by an amount, e.g., 5 or 10 miles, set by the user.
When cruise control is enabled, the device of the present invention can be used to maintain motor vehicle speed not at a fixed speed but at a speed set relative to the legal speed limit. For example, a driver may set the cruise control speed, e.g., at 2 miles below the speed limit or at the legal limit. As the driver moves from geographic region to geographic region, the system of the present invention adjusts the speed of the vehicle as a function of the appropriate local speed limit as indicated by the accessed speed limit database.
Wireless Internet access provides a convenient way in which to access a remote database of speed limit and/or speed trap information. Standard wired Internet access is also supported, e.g., for updating of stored database information prior to a trip. The exchange of information between the speed limit/speed trap information service provider, which is responsible for maintaining the information database or databases can be in the form of an E-mail message transmitted via the Internet. The E-mail message may include one or more attachments. In one such embodiment, the device of the present invention E-mails the speed limit/speed trap service provider, e.g., using a wireless modem, identifying the subscriber or subscriber device and providing current position information. Direction of motion information may also be provided in the E-mail message. The service provider responds by E-mailing to the device of the present invention speed limit and/or speed trap information relevant to the motor vehicle""s current position and to the general vicinity of the current position.
The user of the service may subscribe on a monthly or other periodic basis to the information service provider. In this manner a stream of revenue can be collected from device users seeking to use the speed limit and/or speed trap information databases in accordance with the information service aspect of the present invention.
While speed limit information is readily available from public sources creating and maintaining an accurate database of speed trap information is a more complicated issue. Speed trap locations can vary based on time of day, day of week, day of month and season. In addition, since speed traps are based on the selection and preferences of particular law enforcement officers, individual speed traps may fall in and out of use as officers join and leave the police force.
In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the device of the present invention is provided with a button e.g., a speed trap alert (STA) button, that can be pressed when a speed trap is encountered. Pressing of the button causes a speed trap log to be created which includes position (GPS position data), time, and date information. In some embodiments, a radar and/or laser detector is included in the device. The output of the radar/laser detector is used to automatically create an event in the log when a speed measuring device is encountered. The automatically generated log entry may include time, date position information as in the case when the STA button is pressed. However, an automated log entry generated in response to the output or the radar/laser detector also includes information on the type of signal detected, e.g., the band of radar or laser light encountered. In this manner, speed trap information can automatically be gathered without the need for the user of the device to press the STA button. The radar/laser detector can also be used to provide the device user with an indication that an actual speed trap is being encountered.
The log of speed trap information created by the device of the present invention is supplied to the information service provider as part of a request for speed limit and/or speed trap information initiated by the device. Accordingly, the log may be transmitted as part of an E-mail message, e.g., in the form of an attached file, to the information service provider via the Internet.
Received log information is used by the Internet service provider to update the information in the speed trap database. As a result of these updates, the speed trap database may include information accurate to within a few minutes. In addition, patterns regarding speed trap occurrences can be detected by analyzing the speed trap information over a period of time. In this manner, different levels of speed trap warnings may be issued for a particular location based on, e.g., the time of day or the day of the week. Different audio sounds may be used to alert a customer to the different warning levels with, e.g., the loudest warning tone or sound being used to indicate a speed trap which was indicated to be active by another customer a short time prior to the current customer""s speed trap check.
Speed traps corresponding to particular locations are, in one embodiment, deleted from the database as customer provided speed trap logs fail to indicate the use of the particular speed trap for extend periods of time, e.g., three months.
In some embodiments, warnings and/or speed limit information are provided to the user in the form of speech through the use of a text to speech device.
In addition to providing speed limit and/or speed trap information, the Information provider of the present invention, in some embodiments, provides traffic and/or accident information as well as news, e.g., weather reports, retrieved as a function of GPS position information supplied to the information service provider.
Various additional features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.